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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

More Barbie Controversy: Basic Model No. 10 Too Risque!

It seems one doll in the Barbie Basics Collection is causing a controversy in Minnesota. The particular doll, No. 10 (the one one the far right), is too risqué for children according to one mom. She’s correct. The doll is too risqué for children, that’s why the Barbie Basics Collection targets adult doll collectors, not children. Perhaps placement of the product should be addressed rather than pulling the doll from shelves.





A similar controversy arose a few years ago with Mattel’s Lingerie Barbie series. Mattel discontinued the Lingerie series but not before changing the doll’s signature lingerie to something more acceptable. Once again, those dolls were for adult collectors; not for little kids who may terrorize the doll with haircuts, underwater swimming or even beheading.


Let’s go back further to 1980 when the first Black Barbie hit the shelves and the thigh high cut of her red wrap skirt caused a stir. Heck, if we go all the way back to Barbie’s beginnings, her origin has always been a bit controversial since some say she was based on a German cartoon character and adult toy of questionable repute called Bild Lilli.

All Barbies are not for children. Be sure to select one (or more) that's age appropriate and don't get your knickers in a knot.


© 2009, Don’t Just Play Barbie…Be Barbie!, www.bebarbie.net
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7 comments:

Dolls of Color said...

terrorizing via underwater swimming LOL that's awesome!

Black Doll Enthusiast said...

I agree with your assessment... placement in the stores or a sign that indicates this line of dolls is for adult collectors is more appropriate than pulling the the dolls from the shelves.

Girls will probably disrobe the dolls anyway and expose all their goodies.

dbg

Marcus Goodyear said...

My wife collects Barbies, but I continue to be mystified by some people's hostility toward Barbie.

Melody said...

Excellent post! Barbie has been lauded and maligned for her role in influencing a girl's self esteem. But, the hoopla over the new curvaceous model is ridiculous. I agree with you wholeheartedly. If you don't like Barbie, don't buy her. But certainly, don't blame her for the lack of self-esteem on the part of our nation's girls. My girls played with Big Bird but never bemoaned the fact that they didn't have feathers, orange feet and a beak!

Dani said...

That's so funny when you consider that I'm seeing the Mother's chichi's totally hanging out of her low cut top!

I've played with Barbies since I was 5 or so and she's never been a role model. Actual fashion models though....

Anonymous said...

@Dani
Ha Ha, I was thinking the exact same thing! She is just contradicting herself, didn't she realize that when she chose to wear that top for this particular interview? It never fails to amuse me when this sort of thing happens :D

People need to stop blaming TOYS for low self esteem in a child. This is like blaming video games for violence, there are children who can differentiate reality from fantasy and yet there are adults that can't. Its the parents' job and not that of toys to make sure that their children grow up with a realistic mentality. I grew up playing with Barbie dolls nearly every day with my sister (I collect them now) yet we understood the difference between Barbie's image and our own.
And like some have already said, most of these "controversial" dolls are not created with young girls in mind, they are created specifically for adults.

Anonymous said...

what's the big deal with that mom! The world is in the toilet and all she is worried about is a doll with a low cut top!

At least in America you have the choice to buy or not a doll like that. Here in Ireland only a limited range is supplied in the shops and no stores carry any of the Barbie basics lines and if you ask could they order it in for you and you are willing to pay, they say they cannot even though they must be dealing with Mattel on some level to order the dolls in the first place! Oh I'm ranting! and you can see where Dani is coming from

Thank God for the Internet.

irish Barbie Collector

NOTE: I do not represent all of these photos as my own; these are photos of Barbie and other dolls that I find to be fabulous! If you are the actual photographer and would like to be credited, send me an e-mail.